Fastener holding device



United States Patent 2,802,211 FASTENER HOLDING DEVICE Max Friedman, High Point, N. C.

Application March 14, 1956, Serial No. 571,494

7 Claims. (Cl. 149.8)

This invention relates to a fastener holding device eminently suited for use with nails, tacks, staples and screws, and is particularly advantageous in connection with the starting of such fasteners into the material for which they are intended. I

Even skilled craftsman have difficulty in starting small tacks, nails and screws under many conditions and amateurs encounter equal difficulty in starting even larger fasteners into the work for which they are intended.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a. tool in the form of a fastener holding device with which headed fasteners as well as those without heads can be started into the work, whereupon the tool can be removed with facility and the fastener driven home.

The fastener holding device in accordance with the pres ent invention comprises a handle, a pair of leaves having ends defining shank portions secured to the handle, one of the leaves having an opposite bifurcated end defining a divergent notch to receive a fastener, the other of the leaves providing a relatively rigid anvil portion partially overlying the notch and a relatively flexible resilient portion intermediate the handle and anvil portion. The bifurcated leaf is preferably rigid relative to the flexi ble resilient portion of the other leaf and the notched and anvil portions of the two leaves are preferably bent at their ends to different degrees in the same direction to define a divergent throat for the reception of the head of a fastener therebetween.

Intermediate their ends, the leaves may be formed with registering transverse grooves, arranged as a plurality of pairs, if desired, and one or both of the leaves may be provided with axial beads which may have unequal lengths adjacent the handle.

The handle preferably has a width exceeding that of the leaves and a thickness exceeding the aggregate thickness of both leaves.

The shank portions of the leaves are preferably secured together by riveting or eyeleting and these shank portions are preferably received within the handle. By forming the shanks with widths less than the major portions of the leaves themselves, shoulders are formed for engagement with the end of the handle and the shank portions may be provided with integral barbs for interlocking engagement with the material constituting the handle.

A more complete understanding of the invention will follow from a more detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of the fastener holding device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3 depicting the manner in which the device is used to hold a headed fastener.

The fastener holding device comprises a handle 10 consteel. The shank portions of the two leaves are provided. with registering openings to receive hollow rivets or eyelets 22 for securing them together. These shank portions are also provided with teeth or barbs 24 for interlocking engagement with the wood or other material constituting the handle 10. i

The upper leaf 18 is provided with an intermediate longitudinal bead 26 partially received by the handle and partially extending therebeyond and similarly, the lower leaf 20 is provided with an intermediate longitudinal bead 28,

of greater length than the bead 26, partially received within and partially extending beyond the handle 1t).

These longitudinal beads serve to stiffen the leaves in the handle area and further provide an increased area for engagement with the material constituting the handle.

At its end remote from the handle, the lower leaf 20 is bifurcated'to form a pair of legs 30 having divergent edges forming a notch 32, the legs being bent downwardly as depicted in Fig. 3 and tapered so as to be substantially thinner at their ends 34. 1. a

The end of the upper leaf 18 remote from the handle 10 is doubled on itself and spot welded as indicated by reference character 36 to produce an anvil 38 intended to be struck by a hammer. At its outermost end, the anvil portion of the upper leaf 18 is bent downwardly but at an angle somewhat less than the bendimpartedto the lower leaf so that a divergent mouthjor throat,40 is defined between the divergent notch'a'nd the anvil overlying it.

As will be clear from the drawings, the lower leaf 20 is shown as substantially thicker than the upper leaf 18 so that the lower leaf will be relatively rigid whereas the upper leaf intermediate the rigidified anvil portion and the handle will be relatively flexible and resilient. Accordingly, when the head of a nail, tack or screw is introduced into the divergent mouth 40 defined by the anvil and notched portion of the leaves, the upper leaf will yield permitting the head of the element to be driven to assume a position somewhat as that depicted in Fig. 6, resiliently held between the leaves. It will also be noted in Fig. 6 that the thickness of the handle 10 is substantially greater than the aggregate thickness of the two leaves so that when the lower surface of the handle engages a flat surface of the work, the head of the element to be driven will rest above the work so that when the head of a hammer strikes the anvil 38, both the upper leaf 18 and the lower leaf 20 will yield to permit the headed element to penetrate the work. When the headed element has been started, the tool can be retracted by merely exerting a pull on the handle whereupon the upper leaf 18 will yield upwardly to permit the head 42 of the screw or other element to leave the notch 32. Intermediate the anvil and the longitudinal bead 26 of the upper leaf 18, the two leaves are provided with a plurality of registering transverse grooves of varying sizes for holding a nail such as a finishing nail 44 depicted in broken lines in Fig. 1. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the pairs of grooves may define openings 46, 48 and 50 progressively larger in size from the anvil towards the handle to receive nails of correspondinglyincreasing sizes. It will be noted with reference to Fig. 1 that the width of the handle 10 is greater than that of the leaves 18 and 20 so that the point at which a nail is to be driven can be observed readily when the downwardly disposed edge of the handle 10 as viewed in Fig. 1 rests on the plane of the work. This advantage is also present when the implement is used in the manner depicted in Fig. 6, permitting the screw, staple, nail or tack to be inserted at a Patented Aug. 13, 1957 predetermined point with great precision. When a nail is held in the manner depicted in Fig. 1, after being struck with a hammer to penetrate the work sufficiently, the tool can again be removed. by merely imparting a pull to the handle so that the relatively flexible leaf 18 will yield, until the, leaves have been retracted completely.

By virtue of the added stilfness imparted to thelower leaf 20 by the elongated bead 28, its bifurcated end can serve as a claw for theextraction of short fasteners of various kinds.

Itwill be clear that when the broad flat face of the handle 10- engages the work, it serves as a gage for holding short screws, tacks, or the like, uniformly straight until they have been started into the work. The narrow flat face of thehandle, on the other hand, when it con tacts the work surface, serves as a gage for holding nails or other fasteners of greater length at right angles to the work until they have been started. I

Whereas only one form of the device has been shown and described, such modifications are contemplated as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A fastener holding device comprising a handle, a pair of leaves having ends defining shank portions secured to said handle, one of saidleaves having a bifurcated end defining a divergent notch to receive a fastener, and the other of said leaves having an end portion providing a relatively rigidanvil portion overlying said notch, an intermediate portion between said anvil portion and handle being of relatively flexible material.

2. A fastener holding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the notched and anvil portions of said leaves are bent at their ends to ditierentdegrees in the same direction defining a divergent throat to receive the head of a fastener therebetween.

3. A fastener holding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein'said leaves are formed with registering transverse grooves intermediate their ends.

4. A fastener holding device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said handle has a width exceeding that of said leaves permitting visual positioning of a fastener relative to a work piece.

5. A fastener holding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said leaves is provided with an axial bead projecting into said handle.

6. A fastener holding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said handle has a thickness exceeding the aggregate thickness of said leaves permitting visual positioning of a fastener relative to a work piece.

7. A fastener holding device comprising a handle, a pair of leaves having ends defining shank portions secured to said handle, one of said leaves having a bifurcated end defining a divergent notch to receive a fastener, and the other of said leaves having an end portion providing a relatively rigid anvil portion overlying said notch, an intermediate portion between. said anvil portion and handle being of relatively flexible material, said bifurcated leaf being rigid relative to the intermediate portion of said other of said leaves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

